Artwork Page for Shimla

Details / Information for Shimla

Shimla

1865

Dr. John Murray

(Scottish, 1809–1898)
Culture
England
Medium
waxed paper negative
Measurements
Image: 38 x 48.2 cm (14 15/16 x 19 in.); Paper: 38 x 48.2 cm (14 15/16 x 19 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of William and Margaret Lipscomb 2021.206
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Simla, a town in the Himalayan foothills, became the summer capital of British colonial India in 1864.

Description

Before digital photography, most cameras yielded a negative, an image in which the tones are the reverse of those in the original subject. Early photographers shot on sheets of paper that were waxed to make them more translucent, then coated with a light-sensitive solution and exposed in the camera. To create a positive image, light was passed through the negative onto light-sensitive paper, which was developed in a series of chemical baths to create the print.
A horizontally oriented waxed paper negative depicts a rugged hillside landscape. In the upper half, a dark, textured sky looms over a steep slope on the right featuring tall evergreen trees with fine branches. Below, a dark road winds from the bottom center into the distance. To the left, a dense valley of trees and small structures appears in glowing shades of cream and tan, contrasting with the stark, shadowy sky above.

Shimla

1865

Dr. John Murray

(Scottish, 1809–1898)
England

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